Dietrich Buxtehude is probably most familiar to modern classical music audiences as the man who inspired the young Johann Sebastian Bach to make a lengthy pilgrimage to Lubeck, Buxtehude's place of employment and residence for most of his life, just to hear Buxtehude play the organ. But Buxtehude was a major figure among German Baroque composers in his own right. Though we do not have copies of much of the work that most impressed his contemporaries, Buxtehude nonetheless left behind a body of vocal and instrumental music which is distinguished by its contrapuntal skill, devotional atmosphere, and raw intensity. He helped develop the form of the church cantata, later perfected by Bach, and he was just as famous a virtuoso on the organ.

This chorale prelude sets one of the principal Christmas tunes in the Lutheran liturgy. The text to verses 2 through 7 was written by Martin Luther. The text to the first verse reads as follows, "Praise be to you Jesus Christ, that you were born as a man from a virgin, it is true; That is why the hosts of angels rejoice. Kyrieleis."

This chorale prelude is one of Buxtehude's longest. Also Buxtehude does not treat the chorale melody in the same manner as most of his other chorale preludes. Rather than placing the chorale tune in the soprano, he tosses it around in all of the voices in the same manner as in the chorale fantasies of the previous generation. An ornamented version of the first phrase of the chorale appears in imitation in all of the voices for the first 36 measures of the piece. At measure 40-62, the second phrase of the chorale appears in the pedal against free spinning counterpoint in the other voices. Starting in measure 71 the third phrase of the chorale appears in the bass and soprano in alternation. From measure 99-139 Buxtehude plays with the fifth phrase of the chorale melody in a contrasting triplet rhythm with echo effects between two different divisions of the organ. The last 15 measures of the chorale prelude make brief reference to the sixth and final phrase of the chorale and pin a spectacular little coda on the end of the piece.

Source: AllMusic ([ Ссылка ] ).

Although originally created for Organ, I created this Interpretation of the Choral Prelude: "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" (BuxWV 188) for Brass Quartet (Bb Trumpet, Flugelhorn, French Horn & Tuba).

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